Encourage Youths to be involved in Governance Issues

By Brenda Zulu

BFLOW selfie

The Triple V campaign has been commended for encouraging youths to be involved in governance issues.

Triple V Campaign which stands for My Vote, My Voice and My Victory under the Go Out To Vote  project is a coalition of  National Women Lobby Group (NWL), Operation Young Vote (OYV), Young Women in Action (YWA) and Anti- Voter Apathy  has brought joy and excitement to Kabwe residents.

Central Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Ronald Sinyangwe observed that Zambian youths in the past 50 years were trained in certain way whereby they feel that government should provide everything for them. He however emphasized that there was need for a paradigm shift to such thinking as the future lies in the youths.

“As you sensitize young people, it is important for them to understand issues of governance. It is about the youth being relevant to the nation. I am glad that this is the first year after the jubilee year as the next 50 years are for the youths,” said Sinyangwe.

He emphasized on the need for youths to have their own visions. He pointed out that there was need for every youth to be hard working and not allow anybody else to buy their vote.

“Buying a vote is putting a curse on someone. My vote is priceless and it cannot be bought,” he said.

He called on the Triple V campaign CSO coalition to assist the country focus on the development of the country.

He pointed out that in Makululu area which is one of the biggest settlement in Southern Africa after Soweto in South Africa, they have highest HIV/AIDS statistics and it would be important for the people to learn how to live positively.

He urged the youths to be self-sufficient and depend on their own and not be dependent on other people. “It gives a lot of pride to be on one’s own and to have a back bone. As for the youths it is time to grow up despite their young age. One has to be resilient. It does not matter how one begins but how you finish. God determines our victory,” said Sinyangwe.

“Without the youths it is would be very difficult to achieve our objective of putting leaders in office,” said  Patrick Chishala,  Kabwe District Commissioner.

Chishala was encouraged by the un-conversional way of reaching the youth on their social media and through music as this attracts the youth. He however emphasized that the youths should target other youths in voter education because in the past the youths have been targeting older people.

“You should encourage and motivate the youths and the approach mattes,” said Chishala.

“Reminding young people to be involved in governance is the pivotal role that the council has on voter registration,” said Pamela Zulu, Director Housing for Social Services at the Kabwe Council.

She observed that when organisations make linkages as the Triple V CSO coalition has done, news spreads fast. She however observed that targeting the female and male youths starts at family level. She urged the Triple V Campaign CSO coalition to at one time also target the parents.

“When it comes to governance issues, we have not done so well because we started very late to involve the youths. We have the voter campaign and now we are doing monitoring. District Voter Education  DVEC started the publicity very late and ECZ has been doing the media campaign. We have been strategizing to use the church because it is the same people who go to church and who also vote,” explained Ms Zulu.

“I used the church platform at the Seventh Day Adventist Day Church where I educated the youths on voter registration. It is not a sin. The bible says give Ceaser what belongs to Ceaser and if you love God, you will abide by what he has allowed you to do,” said Ms Zulu.

As a council they have been looking at decentralization and were re-tracking the community welfare and have since deployed five community centers. It is hoped that the youths will be able to spend time at the Community Centers for networking and skills development.

The Triple V concert to be held in Kabwe today will be graced by Brian Bwembia populary known as B-Flow at Comet Grounds, in Makululu mine, Kabwe. Brian will entertain and also educate the youths on voter education of which he will the youth to register as voters.

The Triple V campaign was all about reducing voter apathy and encouraging the youth to register, verify and to go out and vote said Guess Nyirenda, OYV Director and Chairperson of the Triple V campaign.

The Triple V Campaign is targeting young women and men and is supported by OSISA and HIVOS said Juliet Chibuta Director NWLG.